Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Director and co-writer Todd Phillips
follows up his Oscar-winning 2019 blockbuster Joker with the flawed but
daring musical Joker: Folie à Deux.
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is in a
mental hospital after the events of the first film and awaiting trial for
several counts of murder. He develops a connection with fellow mental patient
Lee (Lady Gaga). Arthur, revealed to have an active fantasy life in the first
movie, starts constructing musical numbers in his head with his new paramour.
While Phillips does not play it safe,
that does not mean the film is flawlessly executed. It rambles a bit (139-minute
running time) and sometimes spends a little too much time rehashing the events
of the first film. There are also a few moments in the courtroom that strain
credulity, to put it mildly.
However, there's a lot that's either
admirable or interesting about the film. Phoenix, who won an Oscar his first
time in the role, remains terrific. He is utterly convincing as a man who has
been completely hollowed out by life, mental illness, and his own choices. Hildur
Guodnadóttir also won an Oscar for her score in the first film, and her work is
excellent here, too. Brendan Gleeson also does a good job of capturing the
smiling malevolence of the chief guard at the mental institution.
There is also some interesting meta
commentary about the sometimes toxic nature of fandom when Arthur meets and is
unsettled by some of his fans. The movie also acknowledges the effects violence
has on survivors. Original cast members Zazie Beetz and Leigh Gill are also affecting
in their courtroom scenes.
It's unclear what audiences will make
of this. Phillips and Phoenix's Joker is not like Burton or Nolan's Joker. He's
fundamentally a pathetic (if still dangerous) figure. He is not a supervillain
or mastermind here. Audiences may run out of patience waiting for a more
conventional superhero story to emerge. Phillips may not get a chance to make
another film in this series, but if he doesn't, at least he can say he went out
swinging.